Every year tens of thousands of people will die from infections they acquire while admitted as patient in a hospital. These hospital-acquired infections or nosocomial infections are unrelated to their initial hospital admission.
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) in the United States, more than 50% of all nosocomial infections are transmitted due to improper hand washing by health care workers before and after each patient contact.
Health care workers have indicated that hand washing compliance is difficult because there is “not enough time and not enough conveniently located hand washing stations to wash hands as often as required.” Compliance with hand washing guidelines is becoming worse and more difficult. Because of staff reductions, hospitals require healthcare workers to take care of an increasing number of patients during work shifts. Additionally, hospitals are seeing high transmission rates of antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses, which requires stricter adherence to the CDC hand washing guidelines. Hospitals need products and services that boost and encourage hand washing, and methods to ensure and measure compliance.